Athens Attractions and Cultural Opportunities
by: Kemi Lawal As a Freshman, weekends are always a challenge; a challenge to look for all the different things we can find to do in what seems like a small college town. However, Athens, Georgia is quite large when it comes to all the attractions located here. Athens, a town of 114,737 residents, is home to the famous University of Georgia. Although Athens is a small town, it is filled with many attractions and cultural opportunities. Students should full advantage of the opportunities given to them by the "classic city (Valdez)". "There is always something to do here," local student Camera Elliot says (Elliot, Personal Interview). From the historical excursions, to the natural scenery, Athens is a town that holds more than just UGA. Athens Attractions The attractions located in Athens are divided into different categories based on the type of activity. From a number of gallery of art exhibits to historic campus tours, Athens is filled with activities, one only needs to look for them! Athens is home to many gradens, historical attractions, museums, art galleries and a diverse music scene. Gardens There are a number of beautiful gardens found in Athens, Georgia. If you enjoy nature, you should make sure to visit all of these attractions. Several of these garden attractions are located directly on UGA's campus. Founder's Memorial Garden (North Campus) and UGA Horticulture Trial Garden (East Campus) are both within a UGA bus ride away. These are extremely convenient because there is no need for extensive transportation. There are several smaller gardens located all over UGA's North Campus. From Herty Field (pictured below) to Memorial Garden (located behind the Miller Learning Center). "I like chilling by Founder's Memorial Garden on nice days before class! Its a place to just be--chill! (Elliot, Personal Interview)" The other gardens are not far from UGA and can be easily accessed by Athen's Transit. One of the more famous gardens located in Athens is The State Botanical Garden of Georgia. This garden is used not only as an attraction but also for educational purposes as well. It is considered a "'living laboratory' for students (State Botanical Garden of Georgia)". The gardens in Athens have several purposes. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia recently had a Sunflower Music Series in which bands play inside the park. This showcases Athen's music scene and brings it together with one of it's famous attractions (Sunflower Music Series Video). Although these garden attractions are not typical, they draw many students year-round. Heritage and Historical Attractions Looking for historical attractions for that inner history buff? Athens, part of the Civil War Heartland Leaders Trail, is known for several of its historical trails and attractions. Athens, Ga was founded in 1806 after the University of Georgia, which was founded in 1785. It has a rich history and an even richer heritage. There are many tours offered all over Athens that showcases the history of this town. The Civil War Heartland Leaders Trails are among the long lists of heritage and history attractions that allows it visitors to "relive the exciting 'cat-and-mouse' tale that culminated in a stunning capture of federal troops that were paraded on the UGA campus (Jones, Athens Life Unleashed)". Almost everything in this town has a colorful past. "Discover the lives and legacy of the leaders of the Confederacy, many of whom have ties to the Athens area, on this regional self-guided heritage trail (Jones, Athens Life Unleashed)". More heritage attractions include: *UGA's Historic North Campus *Ware-Lyndon House *The Double-Barreled Cannon *Seney-Stoval Chapel *Oconee Hill Cemetery *Athen's Welcome Center & Classic City Tours, at the Church-Waddel-Brumby House *Taylor-Grady House Arts Athens has many areas for art expressions. "Athens, home to several artists, has been named America's Top 25 Arts Destinations in its recent past (Jones, Athens Life Unleashed)." The various places to express your inner muse include some of the following: *ARTinni's Art Studio *Georgia Museum of Art *Hotel Indigo Just to name a few! Art is incorporated into everything Athens. Even the bus stops have been turned into art display; "You, Me and and the Bus Public Art Installation". Not only is Athens home to various visual arts but also performing arts attractions. The very first African-American owned vaudeville theatre in the United States, Morton Theater, was located in Athens. Although it is a community performing arts center now, it used to be "one of the most famous entertainment venue in Athens (Valdez)". Athens Institute for Contemporary Art (ATHICA), an alternative art space (Drive, Welcome to ATHICA), is a local gallery with events and exhibitions open almost daily. If you enjoy viewing galleries with uncensored and extremely creative art, then ATHICA is the gallery to attend. Let's not forget the performing arts! Athens is home to many theatres. The UGA Fine Arts Theater has productions every month, which are discounted for UGA students. There are also several theater's off campus, such as: *Classic Center Theatre *Rose of Athens Theatre *Canopy Studio *The Georgia Theatre (pictured above) All of these are located in downtown Athens. Cultural Opportunities As mentioned earlier, Athens is known as the "classic city" because of its diverse history in the arts as well as music. Downtown Athens is filled with clubs, music scenes and shopping. Clubs and Music *40 Watt Club *New Earth Music Hall *Caledonia Lounge *Mercury Lounge *The Green Room *The Melting Point A unique aspect about the town of Athens is its various music spots. An Athen's Music History Walking Tour was developed in 1998 for one to get the full music experience. Follow this tour for some expert direction on how to enjoy Athens music. :: http://athenswelcomecenter.com/images/Athens_Music_History_Walking_Tour.pdf Shopping *Downtown: Just take a walk downtown and you will see the various boutiques and shops sprinkled throughout. *Five Points: Located just outside of UGA's campus, it's easily accessible. Its filled with boutiques and shops with items such as antiques, jewelry and art. *Georgia Square Mall *Colonial Beechwood Promenade --(Jones, Athens Life Unleashed) Costs and Transportation The costs for all attractions vary depending on location, events etc. Fortunately as UGA students a number of attractions are free or discounted. Free events located at these attractions are normally well advertised throughout UGA's campus. Athens is a small town, but it can be very confusing to navigate as a 1st year student. Many students without cars often feel that they are isolated or "stuck" on UGA's campus. Not to worry! The UGA Bus System makes it extremely easy to get around campus. With seven different routes running almost everywhere on campus daily, UGA is easily accessible. For those off campus spots, Athens Transit is extremely helpful. :::::: http://www.athenstransit.com/ Walking is always an option as well. Downtown Athens begins with the famous Arch, which is about a 10 minute walk from most of the freshman dorms. Works Cited Athens-Clarke County Unified Government. "Athens-Clarke County, GA - Official Website - About." Athens-Clarke County, GA - Official Website. CivicPlus Content Management System, 1997. Web. 31 Oct. 2011. . Drive, Dynamic. Welcome to ATHICA. Web. 1 Nov. 2011. . Elliot, Camera. "What Freshmen at UGA Should Know?" Personal interview. 31 Oct. 2011. Jones, Chuck. "Athens Georgia Tourist Attractions Museums, Historic Sites, and Things to Do." Athens Georgia Travel, Vacation, Events, Hotels, Music, & Attractions. Web. 07 Nov. 2011. . "The State Botanical Garden of Georgia." University Of Georgia. Public Service and Outreach UGA. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. . Strahela, Laura, Michelle Williams, and Ballard Lesseman. "Athens Music History Walking Tour." Flagpole (1998). Athens Welcome Center. Web. 01 Oct. 2011. . Sunflower Music Series in the Garden, Athens. YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. AthensLifeUnleashed's Channel, 29 July 2011. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. . Valdez, Stephen. "United States (Continental): United States of America: CITIES: Athens, GA." Web.ebscohost.com. 2005. Web. 28 Oct. 2011. . Category:Leisure and Culture